Vietnam, U.S. elevate ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

HCMC – Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and U.S. President Joe Biden have announced that the two nations have elevated their relations from a comprehensive partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The decision to upgrade Vietnam-U.S. relations was stated late this afternoon, September 10, following talks in Hanoi between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden who is in Vietnam for a State visit from September 10 to 11.

Speaking at a joint press conference after the talks, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that at the talks with President Biden, the two countries had decided to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

“I and President Joe Biden on behalf of our two countries have decided to issue a joint communiqué upgrading bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development,” he said. “This is the most important outcome of the talks.”

The upgrade of the Vietnam-U.S. relationship is driven by the interests of both countries, as well as the development and peace of the region and the world.

General Secretary Trong said the comprehensive strategic partnership will continue to be based on what the two countries have achieved over the years, including respecting the United Nations Charter, international law, and the two nations’ independent political system, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

A comprehensive strategic partnership represents the highest level of international relations between countries. Vietnam previously formed such partnerships with 33 nations and territories, including China, India, Russia and South Korea.

The U.S. now becomes Vietnam’s fifth comprehensive strategic partner.

This year, Vietnam and the U.S. commemorate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive partnership. Over the past 10 years, the Vietnam-U.S. relationship has seen significant and concrete progress.

President Joe Biden arrived in Hanoi at around 3:40 p.m. today.

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